Mr Universe
by Khyron42
Summary: A very short, 2-part story about the day Steven came to live with the Gems, and how Greg and the Gems ended up in the arrangement we see in season 1. It was probably better not to think about it, but I did.
1. Chapter 1

Mr. Universe

It was too late. Rose's dress lay crumpled on the floor; the human man sat in the center of it, an island in the sea of white, something small and pink in his arms.

Garnet was glad she had left the others behind; she didn't understand what Rose had done, but she knew better than to blame the human.

She took the bundle from Rose's human, Greg. He flailed against her, his tiny fists smacking soundlessly against her arms.

"Calm down," she instructed, the tiny package in the palm of her hand. "As soon as Rose regenerates-"

"She's not _going_ to regenerate!" Greg shouted, and Garnet hesitated. She peeked into the package, then looked at Greg.

"What is this?" she asked, pulling a tiny human free from the wrapping. On the floor, Rose's dress faded into nothing.

" _It's our son!"_ Greg screamed, inexplicably emotional.

Garnet held the tiny human up by his leg, and then she saw it: Rose's gem, pink and glittering.

"Rose... what did you _do?_ " Garnet asked aloud, as Greg tried to reach the child, his hands bloodied from pounding against her legs. She looked down at the human, a sudden anger flaring. _"What did you do to her?"_

Greg collapsed onto the floor, sobbing. "Please..." he said. "Please let me have my son."

Garnet turned to leave. "I'm taking Rose back to the Temple. _Do not follow_ , human man."

As the door shut behind her, the human let out one final, plaintive outburst: "Steven," Greg said as Garnet slammed the door behind her, sending cracks along the entire wall.

"His name is Steven."


	2. Chapter 2

The fence gave way as his van clattered along the beach. Greg felt a tightening in his chest as he remembered the last time love had led him to drive through that fence. He wiped his eyes and kept the accelerator floored.

The van finally gave out as he approached the temple, and Greg jumped clear, looking back to see the others emerging.

He could the baby crying as he led the way up to the entrance to the temple; as he entered the cave, he ran face-first into Garnet.

"Greg-" she began, but Greg cut her off.

" _Now you listen!"_ he yelled, the others close behind. He gestured to the blonde woman. "This is Barbara. She's here to explain to you what a baby is, and why you can't just take it away from its parents. And here's Kofi, and here's Mayor Dewey, and here's Richard Fryman, and we're here to make you _give my son back_ , because you can't raise a baby! You're not even human!"

Garnet waited for a moment, then stood aside, gesturing toward the interior of the cave. "We know," she said, lowering her head.

As she moved, she revealed her two fellow Gems. Amethyst held the baby in her hands, here eyes wide, desperately grinning at it. Pearl simply sat in the corner, her head pressed against her knees, rocking back and forth. "The _smell..._ " she murmured, her eyes unfocused.

Greg ran to the boy and pulled him from an unresisting Amethyst.

He sat cross-legged on the crystal circle on the floor, placing the boy on his lap and un-shouldering his guitar. Stroking the boy's cheek, he strummed a chord, and began to sing:

" _Dearest boy_

 _I want you to know_

 _No matter what, no matter where you go_

 _Dearest boy_

 _I swear I will_

 _Carry you on my shoulders, never let you go_

 _Dearest boy_

 _You don't need to cry_

 _As you get older, you'll have too many reasons why_

 _Dearest son_

 _Remember this tune_

 _In the whole wide world, there's no one like_

 _You"_

As he finished the song, he found Garnet, Pearl, Amethyst, and all of the parents in Beach City gathered in a circle around him.

"I'm sorry, Greg," Garnet said. "We found Rose's message when we returned. But you have to understand-"

"You miss her," Greg said, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I know. I miss her too. But this isn't her, it's _both_ of us."

Amethyst poked little Steven's leg. "So he's not made of light?" she asked.

Barbara knelt and lifted the now-calm baby as Greg put his guitar away; she wiped his face as she rocked him gently. "No," she said, "He's made of _love,_ " - and for a moment, looking up at Garnet, Greg thought he saw a glimmer of reflected moonlight just below the Gem's reflective, expressionless visor.

Greg stood and Barbara handed him his son. Garnet reached out and placed her hand on Greg's shoulder.

"What does he need?" she asked.

Greg looked around at the cave, the lone door, and the strange crystal lens on the floor which the Gems used to travel to places Greg could only imagine.

"Well... he needs a house," he said. "And he needs to live with other humans. And he needs his father."

Garnet nodded. "You'll help us build him a house," she said, "But he'll never _be_ human, not entirely. He's a Gem. I know Rose told you what Gems are capable of; in ancient times, we lay this planet low. He can't stay with you forever."

Greg closed his eyes, clutching the boy to his chest. "I know," he said. "We can't hold on to them forever." He opened his eyes and glared first at Garnet, then more pointedly at Pearl. "And _no more fence!_ He needs to be a part of this world. _You_ all need to be a part of this world. You gave up so much for it, and she gave up _everything_ for him. He needs to be a human from Earth. And you need to do more than hide on this beach."

Pearl clutched her own forearm nervously, looking away and nodding. "No more fence," she agreed, her voice hoarse.

Greg looked at the three Gems, then down at his own son. " _Like you-oo-oo-ooh"_ he sang softly to the infant as Steven's tiny eyes began to close.

"Oh," Greg said, suddenly remembering, "And Pearl, I need you to fix my van."


End file.
